Stair-rod



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WM. T. MERSEREAU, 0F NEWARK, NEWv JERSEY.

STAIR-ROD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,825, dated July 18,1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W. T. MERsEnEAU, of Newark, Essex county, NewJersey, have invented, made, and applied to use certain new and usefulImprovements in the Construction and Operation of Stair-Rods; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and correct description of myinvention,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters ot' reference marked thereon, in which- Figure 1 is a viewshowing a flat rod held in position by my improved means for holding andfastening the same; Fig. 2, view of my improved button and sliding catchfor holding flat rod in position; Fig. 3, edge view of iiat rod held inposition Fig. 4, view of means sometimes employed by me to hold roundrod in position; Fig. 5, view showing round rod held in position by myimprovements.

In the drawings like parts of the invention are indicated by the sameletters of reference.

The nature of my invention consists (a) in continuing the metal in themanufacture of the button to allow an ornamental device to be formedupon the same; (1),) in continuing the metal in the manufacture of thesliding catch to allow an ornamental device to be formed upon the same;(0,) incombining with the rod the stationary button andslidingcatch,whether said button and catch be ornamented or notornamented.

To enable those skilled in the arts to make and use my invention, I willspeak of the construction and operation of the same. Q

Ashows a stationary button, formed of met-al or any suitable material,and constructed exactly like the but-ton now in use for holdingstair-rods, save that in manufacturing the same the metal is continued,so that when the end of the rod H is placed over the button A thiscontinuation of the button shall project beyond the rod H and form, asit were, a part or portion of the same. This continued portion of thebutton A, as clearly shown in the drawings, may be made of any desiredform, and may be ornamented in any desired manner.

B shows a plate of metal, the edges b of which are turned over and formways in which the sliding catch C moves readily when inserted in thesame. The edges b at their terminus are turned down flush with the plateB,

or may be soldered thereto and form stops to hold the sliding catch Cwithin the ways.

C shows the sliding catch, formed of a plate of metal, provided withears fitting snugly within the ways ot the plate A. In making this catch(l the metal of which the same is formed is continued, so that when thecatch C is slid beneath the rod H to lock the same this continuation ofthe metal shall project beyond the rod H and form, as it were, a part orportion of the same. This continued portion of the catch (l, as in thecase of the continued portion of the button A, may be made of anydesired form, and may be ornamented in any desired manner.

H shows a stair-rod, either flat or round. In the case of the flat rodthe metal forming the same has its edges turned over, so that one end ofthe fiat rod, being passed over the button A, is held upon the same, andthat the sliding catch C may be passed within the opposite end, thussecuring the rod in position. When a round rod is to be used acylindrical form of button and catch is employed, and the rod has aportion of its surface cutaway or is slotted to accommodate the slidingcatch, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The

button A and plate B are attached to the stair,

the catch G is inserted within the ways of the plate B, and one end ofthe rod H being passed over the button A the catch G is inserted orpassed within the opposite end of the rod, securing the same inposition.

The peculiar advantages arising from theuse of my improvements are aready, convenient, and secure manner of fastening and retainingstair-rods iu position as well as of allowing the same to be removed.Aside from this, the continuing ot' the metal in the manufacture of thebutton and the catch affords the opportunity not only of adding greatlyto the appearance and beauty of the rod used by making this constructionof" any desired form and giving the same any ornamental appearancedesired, at a slight increase ot` cost, but of using a much cheaperarticle of rod.

Many equivalents may be used for the button and catch. In Fig. et of thedrawings I have shown one ot' many modes that will readily suggestitself, in which the catch G is so constructed that it is made to turnout from Within the rod H when desired to remove or detach the same, andinward or within the same to retain it in position, and in this case thebutton may be either stationary or irovable.

The ornamental device shown need not necessarily be made by continuingthe metal, but may be made separately and connected or affixed to eitherthe button, the catch, or the rod itself, and precisely the same effectbe produced as in the present case.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Continuing thc metal in the manufacture

